The mysterious company

"Phew..."

He exhaled a thick cloud of smoke at the job-search page on his computer.

[Hello, you are not a strong match for this position, so we will not be considering your application at this time. Thank you!]

A trace of frustration showed in Su Jin's eyes as he closed the pop-up without expression.

He was about to look for another company when something vibrated beside his hand. He turned, picked up his phone, and answered.

"Hello? Su?"

At that familiar, slightly hoarse voice, a hint of mockery crossed Su Jin's face. "Old Li? Missing me already? Can't keep business moving without me?"

"What kind of attitude is that?! I sent you to negotiate with a client, and you beat him up! Wasn't I right to fire you?!" Old Li's voice simmered with anger. "Mr. Wang was just fooling around with Xiao Jing after a few drinks. He got a little carried away, that's all. It hardly counted as harassment. Did you really have to play the hero?"

"How old are you? Do you still think the world rewards good people? I can't afford to offend Mr. Wang. Do you have any idea how much power he has?!"

"Well, they let him on planes, so probably no more than thirty thousand milliamp-hours."

"You... quit screwing around!" Old Li choked on his words, then took a deep breath. "I finally managed to get Mr. Wang to come out tonight, and he's specifically demanding an apology from you. Once you apologize, we can work everything else out. I can give you another chance, too. You know I've always thought highly of you..."

Click!

The light bulb overhead suddenly flickered. Su Jin narrowed his eyes and looked up.

When he lowered his gaze again, an unexpected pop-up had appeared on his computer screen.

[System recommendation: Screening indicates that you meet our requirements for the position of "Special Risk Management." Submit your detailed résumé now? Yes/No]

Assuming it was spam, Su Jin instinctively moved to close the pop-up. But with Old Li still droning in his ear, his hand paused, and he let out a derisive chuckle.

"Old Li, plenty of companies want me. You think I need that job of yours?" With that, he clicked the mouse, casually selecting yes.

"I know you've got guts, but there's no need to put on a tough act. You earned good money all those years at the company, and you spend every penny you make. I imagine... you don't want to lose this job, do you?"

Su Jin drew on his cigarette and exhaled smoke. After a moment of silence, he said, "Fine. I'll take the loss this time. Mr. Wang's there with you, right? I can apologize, but let's be clear: if I swallow my pride and admit I was wrong, I have to be back at work tomorrow, with the same pay and benefits."

"I'll get Mr. Wang right now. As long as you smooth things over to his satisfaction, I'll take you back immediately. You'll still have to apologize to him in person afterward. A smile can settle old grudges, right? Who knows, I might even put you in charge of this deal." Old Li's eager voice reached Su Jin's ear along with the sound of footsteps.

From the sound, the phone on the other end was clearly on speaker.

After a short wait, another man's voice came faintly through the phone.

"Hello...?"

"Hello, my ass. I'm your daddy."

Su Jin delivered the line lightly, then hung up and tossed his phone aside.

With a few stray thoughts lingering in his mind, he went back to looking for work.

He had impulsively stepped in to do the right thing, only to have it turned against him and lose his job... Getting caught up in something like that really was sickening.

Still, there was nothing to regret. After all his years out in the world, he knew everyone had to pay for what they did-even good deeds.

At least his conscience was clear. Being able to respect himself as a human being mattered more than money, and with his abilities, he wouldn't necessarily struggle to find work.

Job listings flicked past his eyes, one after another.

He was about to click through to the next page when someone suddenly knocked on the front door behind him.

Two knocks, then silence.

"Who is it?"

Su Jin called over his shoulder, got up, and walked to the door.

He opened it... and slowly lowered his gaze to the floor.

A package sat there.

Su Jin picked it up and went back inside, feeling a little puzzled.

I don't remember buying anything. And it's almost eight. What kind of delivery comes at this hour?

Seeing the correct recipient and address on the package, Su Jin thought nothing more of it. He assumed it was a box of tissues he had casually bought for a cent with a coupon on some shopping platform.

He cut the package open with scissors. The first thing he saw was an A4 sheet covered in small print.

He tossed the paper aside, revealing an elegant black briefcase and a transparent mask underneath.

"Huh?"

Su Jin was baffled.

He had seen plenty of briefcases in his years of working, and this one definitely wasn't cheap.

Its design was simple and tasteful, with an indefinable air of premium craftsmanship. It was genuinely appealing.

But who would send me a briefcase like this? And what's with the mask?

Puzzled, Su Jin took out the briefcase to inspect it.

As soon as he reached inside its edge, his fingers met cold metal. It felt like a grip.

When he saw the object in full, his eyebrows rose.

A pistol? It was a bright silver pistol, elegant and luxurious.

He hefted it. It had some weight to it.

Oh, a fancy lighter thrown in with the bag?

Without giving it much thought, Su Jin pulled the trigger.

Bang!

A gunshot rang out, and a burst of flame erupted from the muzzle.

The bullet shot out at an angle and buried itself in the ceiling.

Thin smoke curled upward from the muzzle...

"What... the-!"

The sudden turn of events made Su Jin duck his head, his mind going blank.

A gun... it's a real gun?!

Su Jin turned his neck mechanically, staring fixedly at the silver pistol in his hand.

He took two shaky breaths. Only once he recovered his senses did he lunge toward the bed, quickly pull the curtains shut, and shove the pistol into the bedding.

He backed away several steps. Only then did the trembling inside him ease a fraction.

A powerful wave of confusion and dread swept over him.

Organized crime? Delivered to the wrong person? Meant for the previous tenant?

No. The recipient's name and phone number on the package are mine. It can't be a mistake.

He might have been bold, but a gun carried serious implications in a peaceful society. There was also a very real chance that he had accidentally become entangled in something complicated.

Su Jin looked back at the package, his eyes sharpening.

He rushed to the desk and snatched up the sheet of "scrap paper" he had mistaken for an advertisement offering cashback for a positive review.

His anxious gaze swept urgently over the paper. As he read line after line, he felt as though an electric current had shot through his entire body!

[Congratulations. Our company has received and approved your résumé. Basic office supplies have been issued. Your probationary assessment will begin shortly.]

[In two hours, you will be transported to a dying world. Please contact the client immediately and protect them through the initial stages of the apocalypse. Once the client is capable of surviving independently in the post-apocalyptic world, the assignment will end, and the company will recall you.]

[During the assignment, our company will provide essential basic assistance, including but not limited to language translation, currency exchange, identity... Do not disclose any information about the company to outsiders, and do your utmost to realize your abilities and potential.]

[Upon successful completion of the assignment, you will become a formal employee and gain access to additional company privileges.]

[If the assignment fails, you will be left to fend for yourself.]

As he reached that point, a bright red line of fire appeared across the top of the notice. Yet there were no flames, no smoke, and not even any perceptible heat.

The notice burned eerily from top to bottom without leaving so much as a speck of ash.

Once more than half had burned away, Su Jin released it, letting the sheet spiral down toward the floor.

Under his frightened gaze, the line of fire finally swallowed the signature at the very bottom... Heavenly Dao Liability Unlimited Company.

(Thank you to all my longtime readers for your support, and sorry for the wait, everyone. I hope you'll enjoy this book! This is my third standalone work, with an entirely new setting and no connection to the previous two. Feel free to make jokes about them, but please don't take those connections seriously.)